Mechanical Wonder

Mechanical Wonder is the fifth album by Ocean Colour Scene. It peaked on the UK album chart at #7 and lasted four weeks in the top 75. To date, it is the last Ocean Colour Scene release to enter the top 10.

Mechanical Wonder
Studio album by Ocean Colour Scene
Released	9 April 2001
Recorded	November 2000 Loco Studios, Moseley Shoals & The Fallout Shelter
Genre	Alternative rock, blues rock
Length	42:51
Label	Island
Producer	Martin 'Max' Heyes
Ocean Colour Scene chronology
One from the Modern (1999) Mechanical Wonder (2001) North Atlantic Drift (2003)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Alternative Press	[2]
entertainment.ie	[3]
The Herald	[4]
NME	[5]
Pitchfork	6.9/10[6]
Q	[7]
RTÉ.ie	[8]
The Times	[9]
Under the Radar	5/10[10]

The title is believed to be anti-dance music, as are the lyrics; "the Mechanical Wonder is... ...just a noise in my room." However, the band deny this. Simon Fowler wrote in the liner notes of the band's greatest hits album "Songs for the Front Row" that the title referred to cars on the motorway. Live however, Simon Fowler often sings "and the radio plays only fucking Radio 1", a possible reference to the lack of airplay the band get. The other single from the album was "Up on the Downside", which fared better in the charts. The album was not a success, marking the end of the Britpop success of the band. After the failure of the album, the band decided to release themselves from their contract with their record label.

Track listing

1. "Up on the Downside"
2. "In my Field"
3. "Sail on my Boat"
4. "Biggest Thing"
5. "We Made it More"
6. "Give me a Letter"
7. "Mechanical Wonder"
8. "You Are Amazing"
9. "If I Gave You My Heart"
10. "Can't Get Back to the Baseline"
11. "Something For Me" (UK Bonus Track)
12. "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" (Japanese Bonus Track)

References

1. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Ocean Colour Scene - Mechanical Wonder AllMusic
2. "Ocean Colour Scene - Mechanical Wonder". Alternative Press: 90. August 2001.
3. "Ocean Colour Scene - Mechanical Wonder". entertainment.ie. 23 April 2001. Archived from the original on 9 January 2013.
4. McGuire, Samuel (8 April 2001). "Ocean Colour Scene: Mechanical Wonder (island)". The Herald. Archived from the original on 20 November 2018. Retrieved 8 June 2017 – via HighBeam Research.
5. Mulvey, John. "Ocean Colour Scene: Mechanical Wonder". NME. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
6. Tangari, Joe. "Ocean Colour Scene: Mechanical Wonder [Ark 21]". Pitchfork. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
7. "Ocean Colour Scene: Mechanical Wonder". Q. May 2001. p. 116.
8. Grealis, Tom. "Ocean Colour Scene - Mechanical Wonder". RTÉ.ie. Archived from the original on 2 March 2010.
9. Segal, Victoria (7 April 2001). "Pop albums". The Times.
10. Redfern, Mark. "Ocean Colour Scene: Mechanical Wonder (Ark 21 Records)". Under the Radar. Retrieved 5 November 2020.

External links

• Mechanical Wonder at YouTube (streamed copy where licensed)